The following taught courses are linked to CIRCY and share an interdisciplinary and international perspective that engages with real-world problems and practices:
BA in Childhood and Youth: Theory and Practice
* formerly known as the BA in Working with Children and Young PeopleA wide variety of careers involve working with children and young people with rewarding opportunities in the UK and internationally. Career pathways could include direct work with children and young people (for example, in schools or early childhood services, youth work or social work), further study, or policy-oriented employment.
With such a variety of potential careers in childhood and youth, and in an increasingly competitive employment market, graduates need to combine a strong academic grounding with a clear professional focus that will prepare them for the workplace. That is why we have developed the innovative BA in Childhood and Youth [see also promo video at www.sussex.ac.uk/education/ugstudy] with a flexible professional focus.
MA in Childhood and Youth Studies
An interdisciplinary, interprofessional Masters course offered in collaboration with anthropology, education, psychology and law. The MA in Childhood and Youth Studies enables you to bring a range of contrasting disciplinary and professional perspectives to bear on policy, practice and research with children and young people.
Core modules are provided in the interdisciplinary field of childhood and youth studies, with students able to opt for specialised modules in areas such as child development, the anthropology of childhood, youth justice and development perspectives. All students have the opportunity to develop a specialist understanding of research methods with children and young people and may choose to undertake empirical research preparing them for doctoral study.
This MA is aimed at those with some existing experience of working with children and young people in a practitioner, policy or research capacity. We welcome both those working internationally as well as in the UK and Europe.
Researching Childhood and Youth
Social research with children and young people raises a range of unique challenges and opportunities with ethical, practical and methodological dimensions. This 15 credit module provides an overview of this specialist area of research methods giving you the opportunity to explore how traditional research methods can be adapted for work with younger participants, as well as understanding how new methodological approaches have grown from the specificity of working with children and young people.
Methods covered include interviews and focus groups, participant observation, draw techniques, photo-voice and participatory video. The module also engages with the ethical dimensions of research governance and practice for research with children and young people, including a critical exploration of power relations within the research process and the potential for research to contribute to personal and social change.
The module is available to study via the Doctoral Training Centre and can be taken during the spring term by students on Masters courses at the University of Sussex, as well as those from outside of the University.